Workplace Wellness : Creating a Health Promotion Program.

Ideally, you’ll create an overall plan for a health promotion program before starting to plan specific health promotion programs. for example, you can start by getting the following elements in place -

• support from upper management

• A wellness committee or team

• information about the wellness needs and interests of employees

• A budget

• health promotion program objectives

• An investigation plan

Even when you have few financial and/or human resources (HR), you can still take a “micro” approach. for  instance, you could focus on only one specific issue or problem. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning can help you overcome limitations.

This article will give you some ideas for setting up wellness programs. Even the smallest steps can have an impact.

Whether or not you select to begin with a single wellness program or develop something larger, planning is essential. First think about the large picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions -

• Identify an action. What health-related wellness program will fit the bill and best suit the employees and organization?

• Promote. Just how can you most effectively get the word out to employees? What are the opportunities for promotion? Consider everything, because workers have access to and pay attention to different types of messages.

In a typical worksite, employees get information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, handouts, meeting announcements and fellow employees.

• Deliver. Who is the best person or group to put the health promotion program into action? Ask other organizations about approaches they have used. Decide on your budget before making a decision.

• Evaluate. What should you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when planning your wellness program -

• creating and communicating clear wellness program objectives

• Targeting your audience

• determining on the type of wellness program or campaign

The Elements of Health Promotion Programming

Programs to promote wellness in the worksite do not need to be restricted to a single area. You may think company health promotion only involves promoting positive personal health, e.g., blood pressure (BP) clinics, handouts on heart illness, “lunch and learn” seminars on eating habits and short-term physical activity programs.

These activities are important, but company health promotion should also be part of a company’s business strategy and go beyond traditional health promotion programming.

Taking a broader approach, the National Quality Institute recently identified three key elements of a healthy workplace -

• physical environment

• social environment and personal resources

• health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ health and safety and establish regulations to support their health and safety. Consider providing the following -

• Safe bike storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.

• Fridges for personnel to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthful snacks in vending machines and cafeterias.

• Ergonomic assessments.

• Subsidies to help workers join local recreation centers.

• Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities like yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.

• Safe and pleasant stairwells that invite staff to use them.

• Analyzing the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.

• Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, as well as ways of doing corporation, can affect an worker’s mental and physical health. Organizations should consider the following -

• respectful workplace policies that provide safe workplaces

• policies on flex time

• policies on working from home

• employee satisfaction surveys

• leadership coaching

• resiliency training

• staff member assistance programs

To foster a positive social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include -

• being respected

• A sense of belonging, purpose and mission

• freedom of expression

• protection from harassment and discrimination

What you’ve “always done” may not address current employee needs. Ensuring that people  enjoy being at work isn’t an easy task, but making the right changes can have a enormous impact.

Health Practices

Make available health promotion programs and set policies that help personnel remain healthy or improve their health while at work. Consider offering the following -

• “Lunch and learn sessions” on healthful habits like sleeping better, consuming on the run, healthful snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading nutrition labels.

• Stop smoking clinics or subsidies to help personnel quit.

• Health risk appraisals, including fitness assessments.

• Programs to address the issues raised in the health risk appraisals.

• Healthy snacks served at meetings and conferences.

Personal Corporate Health Promotion Tips

When there is no wellness program at your workplace, do not let that stop you from keeping healthful. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier workplace.

Here are a few ideas to think about -

• be active at work. There are lots of ways to bring activity into your workday. Walk to work, even if it is just one way. Hold walking meetings. Bicycle to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office instead of sending an e-mail.

• Eat well at work. Pack a healthful snack and meal. Place a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for colleagues’ snacks. Order healthful snacks for meetings.

• Maintain work-life balance. Be certain to work efficiently so you can leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and don’t take it home.

Minimize social chit-chat. Make sure to set up your office to enhance your work. Prevent clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most critical things get done first.

There is no limit to the number or variety of health promotion programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the results so that you can sustain momentum.

Speak to other wellness practitioners to determine what works well for them. Listen to your colleagues to determine their needs and interests.  And don’t forget to promote, promote, promote.